Airbag device for panorama roof

ABSTRACT

An airbag device for a panorama roof may include: a roller disposed under a panorama roof and having a blind wound therearound, the blind serving to cover the panorama roof; a head liner covering the roller; an inflator disposed between the panorama roof and the roller; a guide tunnel connected to the inflator to guide gas; and a cushion connected to the guide tunnel, and deployed by gas guided through the guide tunnel so as to cover the panorama roof.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Korean application number10-2017-0172609, filed on Dec. 14, 2017, which is incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an airbag device for a panorama roof,and more particularly, to an airbag device for a panorama roof, whichcan prevent a passenger from being injured or thrown to the outside evenwhen the roof of a vehicle is damaged in case of a rollover accident ofthe vehicle.

In general, a vehicle transports passengers. The vehicle has airbagdevices to protect passengers. For example, the airbag devices areinstalled at the front, both sides and the top of the vehicle. Each ofthe airbag devices includes an inflator and an airbag. When a certainmagnitude of external shock is applied to the vehicle, the airbag isexpanded while gas generated from the inflator is injected into theairbag. The airbag is rapidly expanded to protect the body of apassenger. When the vehicle is turned over, the airbag installed at thetop of the vehicle is expanded. The airbag is deployed toward the centerfrom both sides of a panorama roof.

In the related art, since the airbag at the top of the vehicle isdeployed toward the center from both sides of the panorama roof, thecenter of the panorama roof may not be completely covered by the airbag,which increases the possibility that a passenger will be injured.Furthermore, since the support force of the airbag is weak in the centerof the panorama roof, the airbag may be separated from the center of thepanorama roof. Therefore, there is a demand for a device capable ofsolving the problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an airbag devicefor a panorama roof, which can prevent a passenger from being injured orthrown to the outside even when the roof of a vehicle is damaged in caseof a rollover accident of the vehicle.

In one embodiment, an airbag device for a panorama roof may include: aroller disposed under a panorama roof and having a blind woundtherearound, the blind serving to cover the panorama roof; a head linercovering the roller; an inflator disposed between the panorama roof andthe roller; a guide tunnel connected to the inflator to guide gas; and acushion connected to the guide tunnel, and deployed by gas guidedthrough the guide tunnel so as to cover the panorama roof.

The inflator may include: a gas generation part connected to the guidetunnel and supplying gas to the guide tunnel; and a gas fixing partfixing the gas generation part to the panorama roof.

The gas fixing part may be screwed to the bottom surface of the panoramaroof.

The inflator may be disposed at the rear of the roller.

The guide tunnel may be disposed above the roller.

The cushion may include: a cushion deployment part folded and disposedabove the head liner, and expanded and deployed by gas supplied from theinflator; and a cushion support part supporting the cushion deploymentpart.

The cushion support part may include: a support guide part disposedabove the blind so as to support the cushion deployment part; and asupport coupling part connected to the support guide part and mounted onthe panorama roof.

The support guide part may have a U-shaped structure to limitside-to-side movement of the cushion deployment part.

The cushion deployment part may be disposed at an end of the head liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an airbag device for a panorama roof inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates that the airbag device for a panoramaroof in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention isoperated.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an inflator of the airbag device for apanorama roof in accordance with the embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a cushion of the airbag device for apanorama roof in accordance with the embodiment of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Hereafter, an airbag device for a panorama roof in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that thedrawings are not to precise scale and may be exaggerated in thickness oflines or sizes of components for descriptive convenience and clarityonly. Furthermore, the terms as used herein are defined by takingfunctions of the invention into account and can be changed according tothe custom or intention of users or operators. Therefore, definition ofthe terms should be made according to the overall disclosures set forthherein.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an airbag device for a panorama roof inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2schematically illustrates that the airbag device for a panorama roof inaccordance with the embodiment of the present invention is operated.Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag device 1 for a panorama roof inaccordance with the embodiment of the present invention may include apanorama roof 10, a roller 20, a head liner 30, an inflator 40, a guidetunnel 50 and a cushion 60.

The panorama roof 10 may be disposed at the ceiling of a vehicle. Thepanorama roof 10 may include two lines of windows. When the window atthe first line is slid, the panorama roof may provide a sense ofopenness. Hereafter, the window at the first line will be referred to asa first window, and the window at the second line will be referred to asa second window.

The roller 20 may be disposed under the panorama roof 10, and a blind 21for covering the panorama roof 10 may be wound around the roller 20. Forexample, when the blind 21 wound around the roller 20 is unwound to moveto the front end of the panorama roof 10, the blind 21 may cover thefirst and second windows of the panorama roof 10.

The head liner 30 may cover the roller 20. For example, the head liner30 may indicate an interior material of the vehicle, and limit theexposure of the roller 20 to the outside. The blind 21 may be moved overan end of the head liner 30.

The inflator 40 may be disposed between the panorama roof 10 and theroller 20, the guide tunnel 50 may be connected to the inflator 40 toguide gas, and the cushion 60 may be connected to the guide tunnel 50.The cushion 60 may be covered by the head liner 30, and deployed by thegas guided through the guide tunnel 50 so as to cover the panorama roof10. For example, the guide tunnel 50 and the cushion 60 may beintegrated with each other.

Therefore, the gas discharged from the inflator 40 may pass through theguide tunnel 50 and deploy the cushion 60. At this time, the cushion 60may be disposed adjacent to the end of the head liner 30, and thusrapidly cover the panorama roof 10.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the inflator of the airbag device for apanorama roof in accordance with the embodiment of the presentinvention. Referring to FIG. 3, the inflator 40 in accordance with theembodiment of the present invention may include a gas generation part 41and a gas fixing part 42. The inflator 40 may be disposed at the rear ofthe roller 20.

The gas generation part 41 may be exploded to discharge gas, when avehicle collision signal is received. The guide tunnel 50 may beconnected to a discharge port of the gas generation part 41, andexpanded by the discharged gas. For example, the gas generation part 41may be disposed at the rear of the roller 20, and the guide tunnel 50may be disposed above the roller 20.

The gas fixing part 42 may fix the gas generation part 41 to thepanorama roof 10. For example, the gas fixing part 42 may be coupled tothe outside of the gas generation part 41, and screwed to the bottomsurface of the rear end of the frame of the panorama roof 10.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the cushion of the airbag device for apanorama roof in accordance with the embodiment of the presentinvention. Referring to FIG. 4, the cushion 60 in accordance with theembodiment of the present invention may include a cushion deploymentpart 61 and a cushion support part 62.

The cushion deployment part 61 may be folded and connected to the guidetunnel 50 before deployed. The cushion deployment part 61 may bedisposed above the end of the head liner 30. For example, the cushiondeployment part 61 may be disposed above the end of the head liner 30,and the blind 21 may be disposed between the head liner 30 and thecushion deployment part 61.

The cushion support part 62 may support the cushion deployment part 61.The cushion support part 62 in accordance with the embodiment of thepresent invention may include a support guide part 621 and a supportcoupling part 622.

The support guide part 621 may be disposed above the blind 21, andsupport the cushion deployment part 61. For example, the support guidepart 621 may have a U-shaped structure to support the bottom surface andboth side surfaces of the cushion deployment part 61, and thus limit theside-to-side movement of the cushion deployment part 61.

The support coupling part 622 may be connected to the support guide part621, and mounted on the panorama roof 10. For example, the supportcoupling part 622 may be coupled to both sides of the support guide part621, and fixed to the frame of the panorama roof 10.

The operation of the airbag device for a panorama roof in accordancewith the embodiment of the present invention will be described asfollows.

The inflator 40 may be mounted at the rear end of the panorama roof 10,and the roller 20 may be disposed at the front bottom of the inflator40.

The guide tunnel 50 may be connected to the inflator 40, and the cushion60 including the folded cushion deployment part 61 and the cushionsupport part 62 for supporting the cushion deployment part 61 may bedisposed at the end of the guide tunnel 50. The cushion 60 may becovered by the head liner 30 so as not to be exposed to the outside, andthe blind 21 which is wound around the roller 20 and unwound from theroller 20 may be disposed under the guide tunnel 50 and the cushion 60.

When a vehicle accident occurs in the above-described state, theinflator 40 receiving a sensing signal may be exploded to generate gas.The generated gas may be moved through the guide tunnel 50 and suppliedto the cushion deployment part 61. The cushion deployment part 61 may bedeployed by the supplied gas and sequentially cover the second windowand the first window of the panorama roof 10, thereby protecting apassenger.

At this time, as the region to which the gas is initially suppliedclimbs over the roller 20, the guide tunnel 50 may be suppressed frombeing deployed downward. Furthermore, since the blind 21 is disposedunder the guide tunnel 50 and the cushion 60, the guide tunnel 50 andthe cushion 60 may be suppressed from being deployed downward, andrapidly deployed to the first window of the panorama roof 10.

In the airbag device 1 for a panorama roof in accordance with theembodiment of the present invention, the inflator 40 may be disposedbetween the roller 20 and the panorama roof 10 and covered by the headliner 30, which makes it possible to guarantee a passenger's safety whenthe inflator 40 is exploded.

Furthermore, since the blind 21 is disposed under the guide tunnel 50and the cushion 60, the guide tunnel 50 and the cushion 60 can berapidly deployed while suppressed from being deployed downward.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed forillustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatvarious modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in theaccompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An airbag device for a panorama roof, comprising: a roller disposed under a panorama roof and having a blind wound therearound, the blind serving to cover the panorama roof; a head liner covering the roller; an inflator disposed between the panorama roof and the roller; a guide tunnel connected to the inflator to guide gas; and a cushion connected to the guide tunnel, and deployed by gas guided through the guide tunnel so as to cover the panorama roof.
 2. The airbag device of claim 1, wherein the inflator comprises: a gas generation part connected to the guide tunnel and supplying gas to the guide tunnel; and a gas fixing part fixing the gas generation part to the panorama roof.
 3. The airbag device of claim 2, wherein the gas fixing part is screwed to the bottom surface of the panorama roof.
 4. The airbag device of claim 1, wherein the inflator is disposed at the rear of the roller.
 5. The airbag device of claim 4, wherein the guide tunnel is disposed above the roller.
 6. The airbag device of claim 1, wherein the cushion comprises: a cushion deployment part folded and disposed above the head liner, and expanded and deployed by gas supplied from the inflator; and a cushion support part supporting the cushion deployment part.
 7. The airbag device of claim 6, wherein the cushion support part comprises: a support guide part disposed above the blind so as to support the cushion deployment part; and a support coupling part connected to the support guide part and mounted on the panorama roof.
 8. The airbag device of claim 7, wherein the support guide part has a U-shaped structure to limit side-to-side movement of the cushion deployment part.
 9. The airbag device of claim 6, wherein the cushion deployment part is disposed at an end of the head liner. 